Justin Smith (soccer)

Justin Smith (born February 4, 2003) is a soccer player who plays as a defensive midfielder for Championnat National club Avranches, on loan from Nice. Born in France, he has represented Canada at youth international level.

Justin Smith
Personal information
Date of birth (2003-02-04) February 4, 2003
Place of birth Paris, France
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Avranches
(on loan from Nice)
Number 6
Youth career
0000–2017 Voisins FC
2017–2019 Paris Saint-Germain
2019–2021 OGC Nice
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021– Nice II 17 (0)
2022–2023 →Quevilly-Rouen II (loan) 14 (1)
2022–2023 →Quevilly-Rouen (loan) 6 (0)
2023– →Avranches (loan) 6 (0)
International career‡
2022– Canada U20 6 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of September 15, 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of June 26, 2022

Early life

Born in France to Canadian parents, Smith holds French and Canadian nationalities.[2] He began playing soccer at age seven with Voisins FC.[3] After his U14 season, he departed Voisins and joined the Paris Saint-Germain Academy, where he played until the U17 level.[4][5] In 2019, he joined the Nice youth system.[6] At the Tournoi National U17 de QRM, he helped Nice finish fourth, being named the second best player of the tournament.[7]

Club career

In June 2021, he signed his first professional contract with Nice.[8] After featuring extensively in their preseason, during the 2021–22 season, he played with Nice II in the fifth-tier Championnat National 3.[9] On August 14, he was called up to the first team for the first time, for a match against Lille, where he was an unused substitute.[10] That season, he featured as a unused substitute for the first team in ten Ligue 1 matches and one Coupe de France match, but did not make an appearance.[9]

On July 1, 2022, he joined Ligue 2 side Quevilly-Rouen on loan for the season.[11][12][13] He debuted for the second team in the Championnat National 3, scoring a goal in the team's first game of the season on August 28 against SU Dives-Cabourg.[14] Smith made his first league appearance for the first team against Guingamp on February 3, 2023.[15]

In July 2023, he was loaned to third tier Championnat National side Avranches on a year-long loan.[16][17] The loan deal does not contain a purchase option.[18]

International career

In April 2022, Smith accepted a call-up to a Canada U20 camp ahead of two friendlies against Costa Rica.[19] In June 2022, he was named to the roster for the 2022 CONCACAF U-20 Championship.[20] Smith served as team captain during the tournament, appearing in all four of the team's matches.[9][21]

Career statistics
As of June 6, 2023[22]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Nice II 2021–2022 Championnat National 3 170———170
Total 170000000170
Quevilly-Rouen II (loan) 2022–2023 Championnat National 3 141———141
Quevilly-Rouen (loan) 2022–2023 Ligue 2 600000—60
Career total 371000000371

References
  1. "Justin Smith". OGC Nice. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  2. https://www.unfp.org/joueur/justin-smith-24456/
  3. Justin Smith at the Canadian Soccer Association
  4. "ITW Justin Smith". Voisins FC (in French). October 8, 2021.
  5. Courchay, Antonin (July 1, 2022). "Mercato Nice : Justin Smith prêté en Ligue 2 (officiel)" [Mercato Nice: Justin Smith on loan in Ligue 2 (official)]. Made in Foot (in French).
  6. Mechenoua, Marc (June 30, 2022). "Le PSG, Nice, la Coupe du monde... Justin Smith arrive en prêt à QRM" [PSG, Nice, the World Cup … Justin Smith arrives on loan at QRM]. Goal (in French).
  7. "Justin Smith prêté par L'OGC Nice" [Justin Smith on loan from OGC Nice (L1)]. US Quevilly-Rouen Métropole (in French). July 1, 2022.
  8. "Foot/Ligue 1 – L'OGC Nice signe Smith" [Foot/Ligue 1 – OGC Nice signs Smith]. Sport & Business Mag (in French). June 18, 2021.
  9. Gangué-Ruzic, Alexandre (June 30, 2022). "Could loan to Ligue 2's Quevilly set Justin Smith on World Cup path for CanMNT?". OneSoccer.
  10. Bacquié, Maxime (August 13, 2021). "Lille - OGC Nice : Bambu absent, première apparition pour Smith" [Lille - OGC Nice: Bambu absent, first appearance for Smith]. France Bleu (in French).
  11. "Justin Smith prêté à QRM" [Justin Smith loaned to QRM]. OGC Nice (in French). July 1, 2022.
  12. "Le milieu de terrain de l'OGC Nice Justin Smith prêté à Quevilly-Rouen-Métrople" [OGC Nice midfielder Justin Smith loaned to Quevilly-Rouen-Métrople]. Nice-Matin (in French). July 1, 2022.
  13. Lenud, Victorien (June 30, 2022). "Football - L2 : QRM va accueillir en prêt un joueur qui pourrait disputer la prochaine Coupe du Monde" [Football - L2: QRM will welcome on loan a player who could play in the next World Cup]. Paris-Normandie (in French).
  14. "National 3 : Une victoire pour débuter la saison" [National 3: A victory to start the season]. US Quevilly-Rouen Métropole (in French). August 28, 2022.
  15. "Football - Ligue 2 : Justin Smith attend son heure à Quevilly-Rouen" [Football - Ligue 2: Justin Smith bides his time in Quevilly-Rouen]. Paris-Normandie (in French). February 25, 2023.
  16. "National: Justin Smith prêté par l'OGC Nice jusqu'en juin 2024" [National: Justin Smith on loan from OGC Nice until June 2024]. US Avranches (in French). July 10, 2023.
  17. "Justin Smith (Nice) prêté à l'US Avranches" [Justin Smith (Nice) loaned to US Avranches]. Foot Normandy (in French). July 6, 2023.
  18. "L'OGC Nice prête encore Justin Smith (officiel)" [OGC Nice still lends Justin Smith (official)]. Actufoot (in French). July 11, 2023.
  19. "Canada Soccer announces men's U-20 national team camp and matches for April". Canadian Soccer Association. April 5, 2022.
  20. "Justin Smith retenu avec les U20 canadiens" [Justin Smith retained with the Canadian U20s]. OGC Nice (in French). June 12, 2022.
  21. Ghalaza-Boudra, Youcef (July 1, 2022). "Nice: Un Aiglon file en prêt en L2 (Off)" [Nice: An Aiglon goes on loan in L2 (Off)]. Foot National (in French).
  22. Justin Smith at Soccerway
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